New Doctor Who logo revealed for Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor era
New Doctor, new Tardis, new series – new font!
It’s fair to say that BBC sci-fi Doctor Who is going through a bit of a change at the moment.
We have a new series lead in Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor, new companions in Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill, new writers in Chris Chibnall and his currently unknown team and even new special effects artists after the departure of Milk VFX in favour of Double Negative.
And now fans can add to that long list of changes with a brand new logo for series 11, unveiled by Whittaker at a BBC Worldwide showcase earlier today.
The logo redesign represents a new take on the Doctor Who brand, set to characterise the series when it returns to BBC1 this autumn. Below is the first look, accompanied by a rather tasteful shot of the Thirteenth Doctor in silhouette.
A brilliant orange gold, the new logo is certainly a contrast to what's come before and includes an intriguing stylised streak, striking through the opening "D" before re-emerging through the "H" and "O".
Read more: is there a secret message hidden in the new Doctor Who logo?
At first glance the line seems to allude to the series' time travel roots (a literal timeline?) while also looking a little like a shooting star.
Or maybe that trail is instead left by the Tardis itself, as suggested by a newly-released animation with music from British musician and sound artist Matthew Herbert. The video features the Doctor's time travel capsule bursting through a crystalline debris field to illuminate the new lettering.
The new logo was produced by creative agency Little Hawk, working closely with showrunner Chris Chibnall and executive producer Matt Strevens. The team also created a special "insignia" for the new series – check it out below.
“The Doctor Who logo and insignia are the quintessential signifier for the brand," BBC Worldwide Executive Creative Director Rafaela Perera said.
"Our aim was to create modern and elegant designs that were anchored in the things that we love most about Doctor Who.”
All official Doctor Who merchandise featuring the new logo will be available at selected retailers from 20th February 2018, and for reference, here's the former Doctor Who logo that has been used on the series (and all tie-in merchandise) for the last few years. A bit of a change!
Now, it might seem silly to make such a fuss over such a small marketing detail, but in Doctor Who the series logo occupies a special place in fans’ hearts, with many Whovians fondly remembering the logos of the classic series.
It’s also good to set the record straight after one enterprising designer created a convincing fake logo (he actually got the colour more or less right) for the series a couple of months ago, before eventually admitting that the whole thing was a hoax intended to test his skills.
In the end, this logo looks quite different to those we've seen before – but what do you think of it? Does it stand up well against Doctor Who logos past? Let us know your thoughts.
Doctor Who returns to BBC1 this autumn
